La Center, Washington is a relatively small community just a short distance from where the Lewis River meets the mighty Columbia River; only a short drive up Interstate 5 separates it from the cultural capital of the region, Portland. The town was a major river transportation hub in its heyday and was where steamboats would offload their cargo to smaller boats as the Columbia River became shallower in late summer. When railways came to Pacific Northwest in the latter half of the 19th century, the town lost much of its importance and population.